Eldari
The Eldari were an ancient race of sentient beings who dominated Aea prior to the rise of humanity. They made immense advances in architecture, craftsmanship, art, and the arcane arts--surpassing the capabilities of modern civilizations. Much of humanities understanding of the arcane comes from study of ancient Eldari texts and artifacts, though a large portion still remains unknown about how far the Eldari went. The greatest mystery of the Eldari is the sudden collapse of Eldari civilization, seemingly falling within a century, even after over a millenia of prosperity. Modern scholars have debated over what could have caused such a rapid decline of the Eldari, with the Luminarian Faith arguing that it was divine punishment for the perseved sins of the Eldari. Others theorize that it was caused by an early Daemoni Devastation, with some postulating that the Eldari were the cause of the Daemoni. Most scholars date the fall of the Eldari approximately a thousand years prior to the founding the Praetori Imperium. Culture Eldari culture was heavily centered around skill, with a rigid meritocracy dominating Eldari society. This applied to all talents, with Eldari social classes based on five categories of vocations: arcane, artisan, martial, art, and agriculture. Each class was led by the an elected member, who represented that class in the Eldari's central governing authority: the Council of Archons. The Arcane class was comprised of those who were highly skilled with magic, powerful mages and scholars who unravelled the mysteries of the Aetherium. Eldari mages were among the most influential of the social classes, with all Eldari respecting the power the mages wielded. The Artisan '''class was made up of skilled craftsman, architects, masons, carpenters and smiths who constructed wonderous artifacts--some of which have survived even to this day. Eldari weapons are prized among modern Aean warriors, ageless pieces of battle which puts modern weapons to shame. Together with the mages, the Eldari artisans were able to construct their greatest surviving creation: the Great Titans', which are currently used to defend the Imperium's capital, Numenex. The '''Martial' members of Eldari society were among the deadliest individuals in Aea's long history. Eldari hunters were said to have moved soundlessly, able to stalk prey like the wind or shadows. Even the most fearsome great dragon was wary of taking on a contigent of Eldari battlemasters, who were able to combine martial and magical skills in their combat. The later Praetori Imperators attempted to achieve the level of prowess that the battlemasters wielded, with few achieving such a feat. Those among the Art class produced such awe-inspiring pieces of beauty that modern Aeans pay mountains of gold to own the few remaining works. Some worked closely with the artisans to add a level of nearly divine beauty to Eldari structures. The ancient capital of Eldaris, Raemia'antus, still remains one of the most beautiful cities of Aea. The lowest class of Eldari society was those in the Agriculture '''class. This was the largest class of the Eldari, with those who could not achieve success in other skills falling in. Eldari farmers cultivated crops from across Aea, responsible for feeding the entirety of the civilization. Religion Little is understood of Eldari religion, or possibly lack there of. It is still debated whether the Eldari followed a system of ancestor worship or if they actually followed a pantheon of gods. The most reviered beings of the Eldari were known as the '''Magnari--who either were gods representing each Eldari class, or were merely Eldari paragons of skill. Maelduvian' '''society worshipped these paragons as gods, prior to the '''War of Lumination' in 2:33 Crusade, which resulted in the Imperium coverting to the Luminarian Faith. Fall of the Eldari As previously stated, the collapse of the Eldari civilzation is one of the great mysteries of Aea. There are several competing theories among modern scholars, with evidence supporting each possibility. Daemoni Some scholars have postulated that the Eldari were the first victims of the Daemoni. Humanities experiences during the Devastations have led credibility to this theory, with human civilization brought to the brink of collapse several times by the relentless Daemoni. Supporters of this theory argue that it helps explain the scarcity of Eldari artifacts in the modern era, believing that the destruction the Daemoni are known for wiped out Eldari cities. Some even argue that the Eldari are responsible for the Daemoni. They point to the physical traits of the Daemoni as evidence that the a portion of the Eldari were transformed into proto-Daemoni, bringing down the Eldari from within. Divine Punishment The official doctrine of the Luminarian Faith holds that the Eldari were the first children of the Creator, who sought to create a perfect race, after his failure with the spirits of the Aetherium. However, over time, the Eldari--much like humanity--forgot their Creator, worshipping the Magnari instead and placing too much emphasis on magical prowess. As punishment for this heresy, the Creator brought about the collapse of the Eldari--either through divine wrath or the unleashing of the Daemoni. Luminarians have used the collapse of the Eldari as a warning to tPhose who would stray from the faith: an example of the power and wrath of the Creator. The Praetori Luminary has challenged this doctrine, supporting the Eldari-Daemoni theory instead. This is one of the chief divisions between the two churches, among others. Remnants The Fall of Eldaris left a shadow of the former civilization. Eldari cities were left barren ruins, eerie reminders of the lost culture. Those that survived later became the Elvari, more commonly known as Elves. These survivors paled in comparison to their ancestors. The Elvari have struggled to regain the lost knowledge of the Eldari, though with the fall of their own nation to the Imperium in -270 Dark, their quest has seen difficulties. Category:Races Category:Cultures